Dementia patient only recognized husband at their favorite AirBnB, so the host invited them back but on 'one condition'

Living with dementia is difficult, but it's even more painful for those taking care of them. A woman with the syndrome would often forget her husband until they spent time at a specific Airbnb. Yes, that's right! Well, more often than not, she would forget almost everything about their decades-long marriage, but not the Airbnb where she and her husband had once spent the most memorable times of their lives. When the property owner learned their story, he invited them back on one condition — that they would not pay for their stay. Charles Lamplough (@charleslamplough) shared the beautiful story on Instagram on October 17, 2025.

"An Airbnb guest with dementia only remembers my house and specifically her husband at my house. I just got to host them for a whole two weeks, and it's hopefully not the last time I will ever host them," Lamplough said, announcing that the couple was welcome at his property whenever they want, either at a discounted rate or completely free of cost. The husband contacted the property owner and informed him that he and his wife had been to the Airbnb multiple times. He said, "For some reason, my wife doesn't always remember who I am or always remember the kids, but she always talks about the vacation she went on..." The husband wanted to visit the property once again and relive the happy times before it was too late. Lamplough couldn’t book the man’s vacation right away because his property was already full. But he arranged the nearest available dates and booked a reservation for him and his wife.

As expected, the couple loved their time there, and the woman could remember almost everything about her life. The property owner was thrilled and decided to offer something very special to the couple. In his video, he announced, "If you want to pay me, great, but you don't have to. If you want to pay my cleaner, great, but if you don't have the money, I will pay." More often than not, patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s struggle to consciously remember things (explicit memory), but they can still remember things unconsciously (implicit memory), such as feeling familiar with a place, as the woman felt at home in the Airbnb. Gwi-Ryung Son, Barbara Therrien, and Ann Whall, in their research, have suggested that people with dementia feel anxious in new places, and adding familiar objects, smells, and sounds can trigger their implicit memory.

Reacting to the wholesome story, @ristowlexi commented, "Do you have any idea how special this is? I'm sitting here typing this, crying. I don't think you realize the gift you are giving them. @glittercorpsespooktique wrote, "Your home is now the most special place in the world for that sweet couple. And I love that for them and you." @hbs2316 said, "As someone with dementia running very strongly in the family, the fact that your place helps is so amazing. Thank you for assisting this family and spending quality time while they can. Now I have to go find tissues."

@eastcoastgoldengirl shared, "This hit me to my core, as my dad passed from dementia five years ago. He never forgot me or his wife, as we were there almost every day for 4.5 years. And he never forgot his love of music. Thank you for your kindness towards this family. Your support means more to them than you will ever know." @lizziewallace69 commented, "As someone who lost my father to Alzheimer's, this tribute is so heartbreakingly beautiful. My family would have traded houses with you until the end. You would have had a house on the beach, and we would have had our dad back." @hilarybothwell said, "I find this amazing. It is so difficult working with people with dementia as a caregiver. I know this means the world to this family. You have no idea, but in a way, I think you do now. Thank you for being so kind to this loving family."

You can follow Charles Lamplough (@charleslamplough) on Instagram for more Airbnb stories.

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